The way of the Warrior
by SJC8
Summary: Team bonding after the loss of Dr Daniel Jackson, post 'Revelations' Season 5 Spoilers


**Disclaimer:** I do not own Stargate SG-1 the characters or anything to do with the fabulous TV show, I'm not making any money from this and I'd really like it if you didn't sue me for borrowing them for a little while. Thank you very much :-)

The following short story takes place at the end of Series 5 and contains extracts from the transcript of the episode 'Relelations'.

**The way of the warrior.**

"_Colonel. We need to talk"_

"_I don't want to hear it Carter"_

"_You can't just pretend like this didn't happen"_

"_I'm not pretending anything, this is the job. We lose people all the time"_

"_We're talking about Daniel? _

"_What do you want me to do? He's gone. We've got work to do"_

As O'Neill sat in the Cargo hold pulling apart and rebuilding his P-90 in a vague attempt at keeping busy, the conversation with Carter back in the hallway of the SGC burned in his mind. He knew letting Daniel go was the right thing to do, he could respect the wishes of his friend, but in the quiet confines of the Tel'tak the realisation that he may never see the young Archaeologist again had started to set in.

And then there was Carter…

Daniel had been like a brother to her and O'Neill knew that loosing him had hit her hard. He was pushing her, like he was pushing himself and Teal'c to keep going, not to wallow. Daniel wasn't exactly dead, they just may never see him again… yeah, like there was a difference.

Every time he looked at Carter it was there in her eyes, the deep sadness and loss that darkened the normally bright sapphire orbs.

The guilt for how he had spoken to her was as heavy as the weight of loosing Daniel. She didn't deserve it, he had been cold towards her. Part of him knew that if he acknowledged Carter's grief he'd be acknowledging his own, and he wasn't quite ready to do that.

Since he had accepted this mission they had all moved through the preparations with nothing but silence and a few formal words. In his attempt to keep SG-1 moving and coping he had an obvious flaw in the plan. Without Daniel they weren't SG-1 anymore, just a bunch of broken warriors moving through the motions.

He slammed the clip of the P-90 back into place and shook his head to clear the thoughts that were plaguing him. There was nothing he could do about it now, there were out here and the Asgard needed their help. He'd make it up to Carter and Teal'c later…

After the debrief O'Neill had gone to take a shower to clear his head and figure out what to say to Carter. General Hammond had requested that she see him in his office before she left the base for the evening. It was clear that he was concerned for her and Jack couldn't help feel that the General was giving him the time he needed to do the right thing while holding his team together. Hammond had gone to break the news to her before, when O'Neill had asked that SG-1 stay on mission rotation. Partly to prevent an argument between O'Neill and his 2IC, and partly because he would always have a soft spot for Sam having known her since she was a child, and he couldn't stand by and watch her grieve without his support. A familiar voice suddenly broke O'Neill away from his thoughts.

"O'Neill, I wish to speak with you"

Teal'c stood in the locker room with his hands clasped behind his back watching O'Neill re-load his toiletries back into his locker. He paused a second before turning to face his friend.

"It's about Daniel right?"

"It is not. It is Major Carter I wish to discuss with you. She is finding it most difficult to morn the loss of Daniel Jackson...As am I"

O'Neill turned to the Jaffa shocked by his personal revelation. It was rare that Teal'c admitted his feelings about anything. This was bad.

"Yeah… I guess I've not exactly found it easy either. I know he's not dead…he's ascended…whatever that means."

"Yet we may never see him again, and it is this loss that we must acknowledge O'Neill"

The Jaffa stood stoic as always, his words expressing his inner turmoil though his face remained calm and composed. Only if you knew the man would you see the shadow of grief hidden deep behind his eyes.

"You're right. Any suggestions?"

"It is Jaffa tradition to celebrate the passing of a warrior into Kebb. Similar to the Tau'ri tradition of a Wake, O'Neill. We cannot hold a funeral, but we can celebrate the life of Daniel Jackson. As a warrior and as our friend"

O'Neill considered Teal'c words slowly nodding his head.

"Just the three of us? Maybe get some food, then beers at my place. Kind of like a team night. What do you think?"

A hint of a smile curved at the edge of Teal'c's full lips.

"It would be most fitting. I will inform Major Carter"

"No" O'Neill thought for a moment "We'll go together"

As they approached the base elevator Major Carter and General Hammond were making their way towards them from the conrol room. Whatever had been discussed seemed to have lifted Carter's spirits a little, at least she was smiling now even if only half way. O'Neill wondered if perhaps he had been right to keep them busy after all it had certainly kept her from dwelling on her loss in her lab. On seeing them approach Carter lifted her head and greeted him tentatively.

"Hey"

"Hey"

His reply was soft and almost apologetic, he'd pushed her away long enough and now was his chance to mend some fences.

"Heading home?"

"Actually, Teal'c and I were thinking of stopping off for a bite to eat. Interested?"

"Sounds good"

General Hammond stood quietly smiling at her side pleased that SG-1 seemed to be taking the first few steps in dealing with the loss of Dr Jackson together. Dispite the tension their last mission did serve to remind them that after everything they could still be a team when the time came. O'Neill brought him back from his quiet moment with an invitation to join them.

"General?"

"You three go ahead, I've still got some work to do"

As much as he would have liked to have dinner with them he knew that they needed time as a team without their commander in cheif cramping their style, even though he would always be their welcomed friend. As he turned to leave them a gust blew through the corridor ruffling their hair and leaving them all slightly bewildered.

"What was that?"

Sam asked looking around for the source of the mysterious breeze, only Teal'c appeared to be unfazed.

"Perhaps a malfunction in the ventilation system"

"Yeah, thats probably it"

Dismissing it along with her team mates Sam moved to enter the elevator as it arrived leaving the General to his paperwork.

"Bye Sir, have a good night"

O'Neill watched him leave and turned towards the elevator where Sam and Teal'c were waiting, he hid the wry smile that crept across his lips.

_"Daniel, you spacemonkey"_ He thought as he remembered how ascended beings had a certain knack with the forces of nature. Wherever he was, Daniel Jackson certainly wasn't dead.

They'd quietly eaten a steak dinner together at O'Malley's, the ban from their previous altercation there lifted with a change in management to an ex-serviceman who knew O'Neill. Bonded together with their shared grief they shared stories of their best times all together, back when Daniel was alive and still the soul of the team. They laughed over the scrapes they'd get into, the times Daniel had talked them out of trouble, and the rare occasion in the very same bar when he'd talked them into it… but the laughter wasn't whole hearted and their smiles were more of remembrance than joy.

Afterwards, as the only one fully sober Teal'c drove them all back to O'Neill's house in his SUV and they sat out under the stars sharing another beer. O'Neill and Carter were side by side on the roof while Teal'c stood on the back lawn lost in a quiet moment of reverie. In truth, he was giving his friends the time they needed to seal the rift that had formed in their friendship.

"Carter… I wanted to, apologise for before. I know you and Daniel were close and I never should…"

Sam shook her head and cut him off. "We were all close, Sir"

O'Neill was stunned into silence for a moment. She was right, but it was the use of the word 'were' that hit him the hardest. Past tense. He'd driven them apart in his own selfish need to ignore the truth of the pain they all shared.

"were?"

Carter turned to look at him her eyes still heavy with loss, but she wasn't angry at him anymore. She knew he was hurting just as much as she was and he had pushed her and Teal'c away when they needed each other most.

"I miss him, I can't ignore that. But what hurt the most is that you seemed to be able to. We're a team. All the good stuff and the bad stuff, we deal with it together, Sir"

Jack winced and had to look away. He stared down at the bottle in his hands and spoke quietly, his voice husky with emotion.

"I miss him too"

Sam bit her lip in a hopeless attempt to hide the unshed tears welling in her eyes. Holding up the beer in her hand towards O'Neill she spoke with a broken voice.

"To Daniel, our friend, wherever he is"

"To Daniel"

O'Neill clinked his bottle against hers, took a deep mouthful of the cold liquid and swallowed hard to push back the tears he struggled to hide. He looked back towards Sam who had tipped her head back to look up at the stars, to stop the tears from falling.

O'Neill reached his hand inside the pocket of his jeans and pulled out something.

"I've got something for you, that I'd like you to have"

Sam looked at him confused then down at his open hand where she saw a small green band held together with a button.

"It's something we used to do back in the special ops. We'd make these for each other from the cords and buttons from our BDU pants. You put it on at the start of the mission and you don't take it off until everyone his home again or until it falls off. This one's for you"

Sam caught his gaze and held it for a timeless moment, her eyes welled with fresh tears. Not tears of loss but tears of hope, the emotion caught in her throat choking her from speaking.

"Here, give me your wrist"

She did as she was told, holding out her wrist for him and watched as he wrapped the band around and push the button through the small loop at the end.

"I know you get sick of all the way-of-the-warrior crap, but I thought you'd understand this"

Sam snapped her gaze up to his searching his intense chocolate orbs. Had he heard her conversation with Teal'c? Biting her lip, she couldn't hold back the tears anymore and they streamed down her cheeks. Her voice barely a whisper as she spoke

"I do Sir. I do understand"

He couldn't hide anymore, she had that effect on him. Like Daniel, Sam struggled to hide her feelings at times, despite all the walls and military bravado, the moment he saw her defences weaken was the moment his own walls came crashing down around his ears.

"Come here"

He pulled her into a tight embrace and they held each other quietly letting their tears fall over the loss of their friend.

Standing out on the lawn in front, Teal'c stood looking up at the night sky and felt a swift breeze blow across his face, closing his eyes he smiled a little.

"Farewell my brother. May we meet again."


End file.
